Bahrain this week ...

SIX prisoners who went on a three-day hunger strike last year to demand their immediate deportation are still languishing in jail nearly six months later.

The five Indians and one Pakistani have been held in the Asry Detention Centre for almost two years.
They are waiting to be sent home, but are unable to leave because they have outstanding debts and civil cases lodged against them.

A GROUP of outstanding students, who received government scholarships, are appealing to be released from a clause that obliges them to work for the Education Ministry.
The students were granted the scholarships because they were among Bahrain's top students in high school.  They claim that when they accepted the scholarships, they were not told how strictly the ministry could enforce a clause, requiring them to work at the organisation for four years.

A SANITATION company is appealing for council help - saying it has lost up to BD75,000 in repairing bins damaged during street protests.
MBM-Alam Flora wants municipal councils to find a solution to the problem, which it says is rife in certain parts of the Central and Northern Governorates.
Acting operations manager Jassim Ali said more than 1,500 bins are estimated to have been damaged since 2003. “Every few days one of our bins is somehow damaged, in most cases by people demonstrating for political reasons,” he said. “They set fire to rubbish in the bin, paint slogans on it and sometimes they crash vehicles into it. Each of these bins costs us BD145 and it can cost up to BD50 to repair. We have to import them because they are not manufactured in Bahrain.”

AND FINALLY, readers aged 18 or over who want to have the latest haircut and colour free of charge are invited to sign up and be included in the Nazih Bahrain hair show to be held on 18th-21st April at Bahrain International Exhibition Centre.
Stylist Albert Gayo  said volunteers willing and ready to have a total change of look in front of a large crowd should contact 39277920.